Road safety messages to bring the mob home safely

NSW Roads and Port Minister Duncan Gay and Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Victor Dominello today launched Yarnbusters: No Gammin DVD to increase awareness
amongst Aboriginal communities about the benefits of seatbelts, child restraints and the issues to consider before purchasing a vehicle.

Mr Gay said the DVD, narrated by two Aboriginal actors, will be used to support a range of Aboriginal educational programs run by Transport for NSW including
'Helping Learner Drivers Become Safer Drivers' workshops for supervisors of learner drivers and TAFE programs in Mt Druitt, Wagga Wagga, Griffith,
Nowra, Wellington, Campbelltown and Kempsey.

Minister Dominello said education delivered in a straight-forward and engaging way will empower Aboriginal drivers and passengers to make safe choices.

"Knowing the law and following a few simple tips will help people to choose a car that is the good kind of 'deadly'," Mr Dominello said. In NSW Aboriginal
people are about 1.4 times more likely to be seriously injured in a road crash than non-Aboriginal people. Many of these crashes happen within short
distances from Aboriginal communities.

This DVD looks at addressing yarns about choosing the safest car you can afford, wearing seatbelts and the importance of correctly fitted child restraints.

Yarn One: Choose the safest car you can afford

In NSW four in 10 Aboriginal people own a car that is more than 10 years old and research shows males are more likely to purchase the cars that are older.
When purchasing a car, you should choose the safest car you can afford. You are more likely to survive a crash in a five or four star ANCAP rated car
than you are in a car with a one or two star rating. To check a car's safety rating, visit www.ancap.com.au or www.rms nsw.gov.au.

Yarn Two: Each person in the vehicle needs to wear a seatbelt, with only one person per seatbelt

Not wearing a seatbelt is one of the main causes of serious injury and death amongst Aboriginal people in NSW. The video reinforces the messages of the
Transport for NSW 'Clip Every Trip' seatbelt campaign.

All drivers and passengers must correctly use their seatbelt for every trip, no matter how short the trip or how well they may know the local roads. Seatbelts
double the chance of survival and reduce the severity of injury in a serious crash.

Yarn Three: Parents must choose a correctly fitted and approved child restraint for their child's age and size

Every year children are injured or killed in car crashes but most of these injuries could be prevented or reduced if the correct restraint for the child's
age and size is used. Parents and carers should choose a restraint that provides the highest level of protection available and make sure the restraint
is used correctly every time.